Living the simple life in Princeton has offered us rewards that I would like to share with all who care to stop in and see. From natures outdoor beauty to indoor cooking and everything in between. Welcome to my very special world in rural Wisconsin.

Summer view

A View From Our Deck

Monday, April 20, 2015

Quick Inexpensive Fix For A Fitbit Clasp

Everywhere you look these days, you can see people with a Fitbit or something like it. A Fitbit is a small activity tracking device that can keep track of the number of steps you take, the distance, calories burned, how many floors you climb and it can even track your sleep patterns. The purpose of it is to make a person more aware of their activity or lack of. It will show you how many times you were awake at night, but it doesn't tell you how to remedy that situation. My husband and I received the Fitbit Force for Christmas in 2013. The Force model has a watch and is worn on the wrist.

The Force had a recall because some people got a slight rash from it. I was one of those people, but it wasn't bad enough to give it up. We love it except for one thing. The clasp is really hard to connect. As a result it doesn't always get secured and can fall off easily. I know a few people who have lost theirs.

The two little knobs have to fit in two slots.

There are many different styles of Fitbits. Some of them clip on your clothing, some are carried in a pocket and some are worn like a watch. The company is constantly improving the product and adding more styles. This Fitbit Force goes on the wrist like a watch, but to connect it the two knobs have to fit into the slots. It is hard to do one handed so it has to be loose enough to place your finger between your skin and fitbit and pressing down with your thumb. You have to firmly press it together. If it doesn't pop in all the way, or you catch the edge of the band then the Fitbit may fall off. To remedy this situation I bought a little silicone band called a Bitbelt. It slides over the clasp so if it comes loose, the Bitbelt holds it on. I bought two black ones plus they sent this purple one free. I'm glad they did because the black one has worn out.

I spent $10 for three of these little tiny Bitbelts. Rather than buy more, we came up with a better much less expensive solution. We went to the hardware store and purchased two 3/4 inch rubber O rings. The O ring cost less than $1.00.

The ring slides onto the Fitbit band and holds the clasp in place just as well as the Bitbelt. When it wears out, just replace it with another O ring. No more worries about losing the Fitbit.

The only problem I have is getting the recommended 10,000 steps. The Fitbit comes with a small device that fits in your computer USB port. It records all the information collected on the Fitbit and transfers it to the Fitbit website. Anytime you want to see your statistics, just sync it to the website. http://www.fitbit.com/

Walgreens also has a program you can sign up for. It allows Walgreens to record your activity and give points on their Rewards card for your activity. I have $10 in credit just by walking. If you are really competitive, you can get Fitbit friends similar to Facebook friends. Every week you get to see how active your friends are and how many steps that had for the week. I am always in last place, but that's ok. It is motivation to be a little bit more active.